


Silent Love (a Bruce Wayne/Batman x Mute! Reader One Shot)

by Cheshire_Shiki



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Declarations Of Love, F/M, Muteness, True Love, Unrequited Hate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-06-11 21:31:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15324762
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cheshire_Shiki/pseuds/Cheshire_Shiki
Summary: (A Bruce Wayne/Batman x Mute! Reader One Shot) (DC)Every time Bruce looks at her, all he can see is his failure. But every time she looks at him, there's love in her eyes and hope in her smile. He doesn't need to hear her say I love you, he only needs to feel it. But for some reason, it's just never enough for anyone. (Sorry for the bad summary)





	Silent Love (a Bruce Wayne/Batman x Mute! Reader One Shot)

     She used to sing at all his galas. Bruce could never forget her melodic voice filling Wayne Manor with perfect notes and the silence in the crowded ballroom as every elite listened as if their lives depended on that single beautiful voice. 

     He could never forget that loving smile she always sent him after hitting hard notes with ease, because he was one of the lucky few to see her practice despite already being perfect. He’d probably listened to the songs she sang at his galas 1000 times before she even performed. Nothing could ever beat the way his heart raced as she took perch on the top of the staircase and sung her heart out.  He may have heard the song 1000 times, but it got better every time. So among the crystal lights of the chandelier, the elites dancing to the musicians’ instruments, Bruce Wayne would stand frozen as he watched her radiate. 

     But her voice was a weapon. He knew about the magic lurking in that beautiful voice. If someone was weak willed, she could easily charm them to do her bidding. It was the darker side to her voice very few knew. He often brought her along when he needed to interrogate, because she could charm the information out of any lowlife of Gotham. Sometimes that was the better approach in comparison to dangling criminals off buildings.

 

     Her beautiful voice wasn’t the reason he loved her though, Bruce wasn’t weak willed so the magic never worked on him. 

 

     He didn’t invite her to his galas to charm his guests. He didn’t invite her because she didn’t charge, nor because she looked beautiful in every gown she wore. Bruce invited her because he loved her more than anyone, and yes he hated sharing, but he knew it made her happy to perform.

 

_      Are you okay?  _ Quick fingers signed the message to him, and warm black eyes looked to him with concern. She was beautiful as ever. With hair styled to perfection, faint traces of makeup that left her with black lined eyes and beautifully applied lipstick, and a halter topped, hugging, black gown. She was the human incarnation of beauty in his eyes. Beauty that radiated despite the dark colors of her clothes, a tactic she purposely did in hopes to blend in.  

 

     “Sorry, you know I can’t help myself around you.” He admitted, smiling as she looked away bashfully. His arm secured the young woman to his side, their relationship had long been public. While it wouldn’t have mattered to him if they didn’t, Bruce’s business partners and elite figures of Gotham all approved of her. Most were convinced she was his sugar baby, it didn’t help she looked younger than him. Bruce remembered how she won Gotham over with her heart of gold personality and her voice. She didn’t need Bruce’s help whatsoever.

 

_      Thank you, is there any other guest you haven’t greeted?  _ He watched her eyes take in the scene, and he didn’t miss the way she pressed herself closer as she saw the sheer amount of people looking in her direction and whispering. Bruce had expected this.

 

     Months ago, he would be announcing that she’d take the grand staircase and charm their hearts with her voice. He’d see the excitement in his guests eyes as he said her name, but that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t like before. He could hear whispered voices as they passed, and he wished they were quieter. 

 

“I feel so bad for him, to have a girlfriend like her.”

 

“She can’t expect him to stay with her.”

 

“A singer without a voice? Bruce is better off with a transient. At least they can talk.”

 

“It’s good, now without her voice, he’ll see she’s nothing.”

 

“I heard she has her voice, she’s just choosing not to use it as a publicity stunt.”

 

     His eyes constantly flickered over to her, desperately pleading for her to just let him fight back. Let him give these assholes a piece of his mind. Make them regret ever saying horrible things about her. But the peaceful light in her eyes and the gentle grip on his hand spoke louder than any of those horrible words. Her smile was tranquil and her eyes shot warnings to Bruce. 

 

     The loss of her voice didn’t rise sympathy from the crowd who once loved her. Hateful eyes and disappointed frowns had met her tonight, and Bruce couldn’t help the bubbling anger as his guests would ask about the scar on his hand and inquire about his wellbeing, but wouldn’t even acknowledge the fact his girlfriend had recently been rescued from a brutal kidnapping and not one of them even bother to ask if she was okay.

 

     Bruce’s eyes flickered to the skin hidden behind the halter of her dress, knowing what was underneath the black cloth. They knew she lost her voice, but only Bruce saw how. 

 

     Batman was the only one to find her in chains in a dark cellar, the only one to hear her desperate screams as her kidnapper wrapped her in his arms, the only one to watch bloodied hands reach out to him desperately, the only one to see pure fear in her eyes as the knife approached her neck, the only one to watch the kidnapper’s cold eyes as he buried the knife into her throat and violently jerk his arm.

     Batman was the only one who could’ve saved her voice in that moment but failed.

 

     The world saw a beautiful girl, with a dazzling smile, who seemed to have no problems and robbed them of the most amazing thing in the world: her voice. Bruce saw a  beautiful girl and dazzling smile as well, who he loved with all his heart, and lost the most precious thing in the world to her.

 

     He didn’t realize he had frozen until, worried black eyes met his and gentle hands took his face, thumbs rubbing on his cheeks. She seemed to understand, noticing his eyes lingering to her neck, and smiled comfortingly towards him.

 

_      I think you need a drink,  _ she signed,  _ wait here _

 

     He watched her make her way to the open bar and proceed to write in the custom moleskine notebook Bruce gifted her. 

 

     Hours after his guests left, Bruce found himself in the Batcave, his eyes paging through pictures of his girlfriend in her old crime fighting costume. Her name had been Songbird, and while she wasn’t as feared Batman, she was just as effective if not more. He inspired fear into the hearts of criminals, but she inspired hope into the souls who needed it. 

 

     After the accident, they agreed a temporary hiatus for her was necessary, as well as a new hero identity.  Because while she still had her hand to hand combat skills, access to any and all of his technology, and experience in fighting with a staff, they knew he wasn’t ready to send her out. 

 

_      “I almost lost you. _ ” Bruce remembered himself saying as he clutched her hand in the pristine hospital room,  _ “I don’t think I could live if it happened again.”  _

 

     Thankfully, she understood, and never pushed to resume her double life until they were both ready. 

 

     A cup of tea made its way to the table in front of the monitor, and a soft kiss to his cheek let him know it was her. Arms wrapped around his neck as her chest pressed to his back and her cheek against his, in her hands were the moleskine notebook and a fountain pen stolen from his office in Wayne Enterprises. Manicured fingers opened to the first blank page and she wrote,  _ I’m sorry. I know my muteness hurts you more than me. I know it’s hurting your image as well as your heart.  _

 

     Bruce sighed, and patted his lap, inviting her to sit. She didn’t hesitate to sit on his armored black pants and rest against his shoulder while he held her. “My image isn’t a problem, it’s just every time I look at you, I can’t help but remember how I failed you, I’ve ruined your life and-” 

 

_      I like it better this way.  _ The written confession caught him off guard and he watched the  pen continually sing words,  _ After losing my voice, I realized how many people failed to see me for anything else other than a singer. It’s helped filter the people in my life, leaving with me people who truly love me and care about me. Maybe you couldn’t save my voice, I don’t think anyone could’ve. But when I was alone, you stayed next to me. When I asked you not to fight at the gala, you didn’t. Every time I’ve ever needed you, you’ve always been there and you saved my life. I don’t have much I can give back to you, except my undying love and support.  _

 

     When Bruce looked in her eyes, he saw sincerity. He saw the same woman he fell in love with on a rooftop, he saw the same woman who would sneak into Wayne Enterprises to bring him coffee and lunch, and would sew mismatched buttons to his suits. Maybe he couldn’t hear it, but he could sure as hell feel her love in everything she did. He might never hear her say, “I do” or sing mediocre songs in a beautiful voice across a ballroom, but he could read the handwritten words delicately crafted in cursive, and he could see her holding his moleskine notebook to her chest as her smile screamed, “I love you.”  

 

_      Am I still enough?  _ The words were smaller now, more tentative, and the hand writing them was shaking. Bruce answered the question with a deep kiss to her forehead.  He answered the question by burying his face in her neck and kissing every inch of the scar, and felt her body trembling with laughter. He answered the question by the tight grip on her waist as he prayed she’d  never leave again. 

 

     She would always be enough, Bruce was sure of it. Unknown to her, he had a diamond ring ready to prove it. But that was for another day, Bruce thought as he found himself gazing at her lovingly.

 

 

 

**Wow, that's a pretty long one shot! I'm open to constructive criticism(as one shots aren't my specialty) and if you enjoyed this one shot, please check out my other work! Thank you for reading!**

**Author's Note:**

> If you enjoyed my work, feel free to check out my other stories. And I'm also always open to constructive criticism, don't hold back.


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